Ram is shaking things up in a big way as it returns to NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series for 2026, and it’s not doing it quietly. The company rolled out its new “Free Agent Program,” a plan that will put a different driver behind the wheel of the No. 25 Kaulig Racing truck every race week.
Instead of sticking with one full-time driver, Ram will announce the lineup days leading up to the event. The goal is simple: bring more eyes to the Truck Series, make the races feel unpredictable, and give fans something to talk about. Ram says this move is built on real numbers and a real need to get fans more invested in this part of the sport.
Why Ram Created the Free Agent Program
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said the idea was built around understanding what NASCAR fans value most. “We said, the key to that is these fans love the teams and they love the drivers, these larger-than-life personalities is who they’re attracted to,” Kuniskis told NASCAR.com. “You know, they can’t get in and drive the car, but they can live vicariously through these people. So we said, how do we expand that past these three drivers, and that’s where the idea of the free agent car came from.”
Ram believes there’s a wide gap between the popularity of the Cup Series and the Truck Series, even though a large number of NASCAR fans drive trucks themselves. That disconnect helped shape Ram’s return after a 12-year break.
The company chose to partner with Kaulig Racing on five total entries for 2026: three full-time trucks for Brenden Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley, one Free Agent truck, and a still-to-be-announced fifth entry.
How the Rotation Will Work
The Free Agent truck will feature drivers approved by both NASCAR and Kaulig Racing. Kuniskis made it clear that safety and credibility come first.
“I don’t even want to know the name of the person until those two people have said yes, they’re not going to crash your truck, they’re going to be safe, they’re not going to put anybody in harm’s way,” he said. Once those requirements are met, the next step is to determine whether the driver will bring value to the program. “Is this going to bring in a net-new audience? Is this going to expand the reach of the Truck Series? And if the answer to that is yes, then hell yeah.”
Ram expects the driver pool to include former NASCAR talent, racers from other forms of motorsport, and even unexpected names from outside the typical racing world. Instead of collecting points toward the championship, the truck will follow a custom scoring system, with a prize awarded at the end of the season.
What This Means for Fans and the Series
Kaulig Racing leadership is fully committed to making the program work. “I’ll tell you this, if you have ever met or if you know Matt Kaulig, there is no such thing as an aggressive goal,” Kuniskis said. He added that Kaulig, Chris Rice, and others inside the organization are “totally in on this” and confident they’ll be ready for Daytona.
The bigger goal behind the Free Agent Program is to bring energy and attention to a series that often gets overshadowed. “I think they’re excited about what we’re bringing to this team and the excitement that we’re bringing,” Kuniskis said. “We’re coming back to go race and be competitive, win, but also have some fun and draw some excitement and engagement toward this series that I think this series definitely needs.”
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